


Firecrackers

by Tiptapricot



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Background dickory, Gen, Girls havin fun!, Hair Brushing, Mild Swearing, Probably (definitely) illegal use of fireworks, Steph wants to talk shit and Kori is here for it, good vibes, ladies supporting each other, night out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiptapricot/pseuds/Tiptapricot
Summary: Steph needs someone to vent to, and finds an unlikely friend in one Kory Anders.
Relationships: Stephanie Brown & Koriand'r
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	Firecrackers

**Author's Note:**

> This is a (late) birthday fic for my wonderful friend Olivia! Please go check out her gorgeous art and shitposts over on tumblr [@livia-art,](https://livia-art.tumblr.com/) she’s amazing and super sweet.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

Steph prided herself on many things. She had a great throwing arm, a good work/life balance, and she was one of the best cooks in her social circle, third only to Alfred and Jason. She was also pretty good at fighting, if she did say so herself, and at keeping a cool head when she was dragged out of bed for a late night patrol and forced to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning.

Steph  _ knew _ she was good at a lot of things, and as she slammed her boot into the side of the trash can and sent it crashing to the ground, she prided herself on having one  _ hell _ of a good kick.

It wasn’t the most mature thing she could’ve done, she knew that, but at the moment she couldn’t care less. She was tired, sore, and pissed off, and so help her, the next person who tried to talk to her was getting a knuckle sandwich straight to the jaw.

Okay…  _ maybe _ not, she didn’t want the college on her case for decking someone in public. Though she did know some  _ other _ idiots that deserved it, and the Batcave was definitely more suited to a private brawl.

Steph huffed and kicked one of the cans that had rolled out of the trashcan, watching it bounce down the steps of the science building and land on the lawn.

She was good at school, she _knew_ she was good at school, and yet _,_ thanks to said idiots and their _brilliant_ plan to waste seven straight hours staking out Penguin’s place for no reason, she’d just bombed her bio midterm. 

Steph sighed and ran a hand through her hair, cringing at the tangles. She hadn’t even gotten past the third question before the teacher had called time, too dazed and dreary to make sense of the words on the page. Cells and growth and the difference between one type of reproduction and another, it all blurred together. What she wouldn’t give for a good shower and a cup of coffee right about now.

And something to punch, that too.

Steph took one more deep breath before setting off towards the parking lot, muttering nonsense under her breath. She would normally go to the gym at a time like this, push out a few reps and work the frustration out of her system, but that didn’t exactly sound appealing when it was already edging on ninety out. Her next best option, though tempting, was probably a no go too. As much as she wanted to play target practice with the boys, she knew Bruce breathing down her neck would be even worse than the school. 

So that left her with finding someone to vent to, and soon.

There was just one problem.

Steph got into her car and cranked up the AC, pulling out her phone while she waited for it to cool off. She scrolled through her contacts, skipping over a handful of school friends as she looked for a viable option to talk about her night (she wasn’t exactly primed and ready to reveal her identity to “Jane From English” quite yet). 

Cass was off the table, she was doing undercover work for a case in Greenland, and Steph wasn’t even going to  _ humor _ the idea of complaining to Tim or Duke or… well  _ any _ of the boys. This was their fault in the first place. Barbara didn’t pick up when she tried calling, and it was only on the sixth ring that Steph remembered she was taking a trip with her dad to visit family in Texas that week. Great.

Kate wasn’t really the gossip-y type, Bruce still had a stick up his ass like always, Harper wasn’t even  _ in _ her phone yet, and as much as Steph wanted to sit down with Alfred and bear her woes to a plate of scones or little sandwiches, she didn’t want to be anywhere near the manor right now. Unfortunately, that also meant she was left with very few options. Well… more like almost  _ none, _ actually

_ Almost _ being the operative word, because crammed in at the bottom of her contacts with less finesse than a bulldozer, was one last number.

**Z| Kori, idk what to do w this haha, Zzzzzz**

Dick had given it to her when she had house sitted for him a few years back, an emergency number in case things had gone south. They hadn’t, Steph had shoved the number to the bottom of her list without a second thought, and that had been that. 

It made sense, in all fairness. Why would she ever need to call Dick’s girlfriend in a non “Nightwing’s bleeding out, thought you should know” type scenario? It was just weird. Not to mention she’d only talked to Kori in the handful of times she’d visited the manor, and even then it had never been anything more than a few well placed hellos before she and Dick went off to do such and such for the day.

She seemed nice, and she was totally a badass, but beyond that Steph had no frame of reference. So she had gotten Kori’s phone number, and that had been that. 

Until now.

Because sitting in the car, AC ruffling her curls, calling a practical stranger was starting to sound better by the minute.

Dick  _ had _ mentioned Kori was in town on modeling business, and Steph was pretty sure she could BS her way out if things got awkward. She didn’t really have any other options, and besides what did she have to lose?

Steph had clicked the call button before she could reconsider. The dial tone rang twice, and then Kori’s smooth voice answered with a simple, “Hello?”

***

Steph had miscalculated. She had asked Kori to meet her in Gotham Central Park, since it was only a short ride from her school and had plenty of shade, but she was regretting that decision now. It wasn’t the park itself, or the fact that it was more crowded than usual because of an upcoming music festival, no, it was because Steph had realized the second Kori had caught sight of her that this had been a mistake. 

There were very few things that could get Steph to feel self conscious, but getting hoisted up into a crushing hug by a six-foot four alien goddess definitely did the trick.

“Uh… hi,” she greeted once Kori had finally set her down. It felt like she’d just been hugged by a heated blanket, and her skin was still tingling.

“Hello! It is wonderful to see you Stephanie,” Kori said with a smile, and  _ god, _ Steph was suddenly  _ very _ aware of her rumpled sleep shirt and Barbie shorts. She should’ve at least  _ tried _ to get dressed that morning, if only to spare herself a shred of dignity now.

“So do you want to, like… walk and talk or what?” Steph jabbed a finger at the running path. “That is if you have time, I know you’re probably really busy and stuff,” she chuckled awkwardly, “just didn’t have anyone else to reach out to.”

Kori waved her hand dismissively. “Oh no I am perfectly available, do not worry. I finished my work days ago, but Dick has been rather… tied up in his job, so I welcome a meetup with a friend! What troubles you?”

Steph took a deep breath.  _ “Well—” _ she began, and just like that it all came tumbling out.

She started talking, and despite her immediate reservations, she  _ kept _ talking, and as she and Kori meandered through the park, dodging kids running past with water guns and sparklers, the topic shifted from Steph’s failed test to her general frustrations surrounding her night job. 

Things like constantly getting left out of communication loops, or always having to ask to get her equipment restocked. It was tiring, especially on top of the school thing. None of the others were in school, so they didn’t have to deal with the added crap she did. Tim had dropped out, Damian was homeschooled, and Duke was taking a GAP year. And yet they all still expected her to be free one-hundred percent of the time! It was ridiculous.

At some point Kori bought them ice cream and they headed down a path towards the duck pond, Steph still talking emphatically between bites.

It was only when she was partway through a lengthy description of how annoying it had been to get the cape of her new costume properly measured that Steph realized she’d been ranting for almost an hour.

“And like it kept dragging and tripping me up but every time I sent it back it never got fixed and I just really needed it to be fixed but they kept brushing me off and I—” she glanced over mid sentence at Kori, who was smiling encouragingly, then down at her ice cream, and back up. “I… oh jeez, I’m sorry. I’ve totally been rambling, haven’t I?”

Kori laughed. “It is fine. I have found your stories quite entertaining, actually. It seems as if you’ve been holding back a lot of anger, so I understand the need to let go. I am just glad you felt you could share this with me.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely!” Kori quickly took her last bite of ice cream and tossed the the cup in a nearby trash can before taking Steph by the shoulders. “I do not know you very well, Stephanie,” her grip tightened slightly, “but I am so  _ very _ glad that I am finally learning. I have heard many stories from Dick, and you are proving to be immensely enjoyable to be around.”

_ “Really?” _ Steph’s eyes bulged. She shook her head, taking a step back. “Wait, I mean,  _ thank you, _ it’s, uh, been nice to get this stuff off my chest.”

“That is wonderful! I am glad I have been able help.” Kori planted her hands on her hips, beaming. “Would you like to finish your previous story, or has your frustration been adequately vented?”

Steph stared for a moment and then snorted, popping the tip of her cone into her mouth. “Nah. This has been really nice, Kori, thanks, but I don’t wanna dump too much on you. I think I’m gonna hit the streets early and work out the rest of this with some good old fashioned punching.”

Kori hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, physical force  _ is _ a rather effective outlet.”

“Yeah exactly! Hey you can walk with me if you want, I know you don’t really need it but I can drop you off somewhere if—”

“Ah!” A warm hand encircled Steph’s wrist as she turned to leave. She glanced back to see Kori smiling like she had just won the lottery, eyes bright with mischief. “If it is action you want, I have a  _ much _ better idea.”

Steph raised a brow curiously. “What do you have in mind?”

***

“Woo hoo!” Steph let out another whoop as Kori spun midair and set off another firework. The bang was loud, drowning out her gleeful shout of surprise as Kori dipped suddenly, glittering sparks of light raining down above them.

“Are you having fun?” Kori shouted over the rush of wind, craning her neck to look back at Steph.

“Are you kidding?” Steph leaned back to gesture to the open air, Gotham’s lights sailing by below and her legs firmly wrapped around Kori’s torso. “This is amazing!”

Kori laughed, loud and bright. “Magnificent! I thought you would like this!”

She did another dip that made Steph’s stomach drop and a joyous shriek slip past her lips. They streaked down through a cloud and over the river, coming close enough to the water that Steph could feel the spray against her toes, before Kori soared back up and settled into a calm float towards the docks.

Steph took a moment to catch her breath before digging hastily through the bag she’d wheedled off of a seller in the narrows, pulling out a pack of sparklers and ripping it open. She leaned over to show them to Kori, who reached up and lit them with a small burst of energy from her fingers. The tips sparked and sputtered, spitting out a bright stream of light and smoke that trailed off behind them as they bobbed gently in the breeze.

Steph sat back and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She listened to the crackle of the sparklers and let the wind buffet against her face, smiling to herself.

“You know, I have found a certain solace in the clouds myself at times,” Kori said after a moment.

Steph hummed. “I can see why, it’s great up here.”

“Yes, it is.” There were a few beats of silence before she spoke again. “Up here, I am able to think about things, and if I am too angry to think, it gives me space for that anger. That’s why I thought you’d like it, though I must say I have never had such wonderful accessories to play with. That man was very nice to give them to us.”

Steph leaned forward to rest against Kori’s back, ignoring that she could barely see anything past a facefull of red, curly, (glowing) hair. “Do you wanna choose the next one?” she offered with a playful grin, holding out the plastic bag dangling from her forearm.

Kori seemed to consider for a moment before reaching in with gusto and pulling out two long, brightly colored, fireworks.

“Double the fun, that’s the spirit!” Steph cheered, sitting up to watch the show.

Kori set off each with a light press of her fingertips, and then accelerated quickly towards the shoreline as the fireworks shot into the air with twin shrieks. The first exploded in a spiral of gold and red, and the second went off just over Gotham Bridge, illuminating traffic in a shower of purple.

Steph heard Kori let out a delighted noise and quickly began rummaging around for another, balancing the bag on her knee as the sparklers continued to sizzle in her other hand. They set off three more in rapid succession, whooping and shouting and screaming as they looped and dipped over a block of storage warehouses. 

Steph pulled out a particularly thick firework and watched it go off with a rising shout of  _ Fuck Batman! Fuck college! And fuck Brent Donahue for never taking the hint that I think he’s an asshole!  _ as it streaked up into the sky. Kori did a celebratory loop de loop at that, cheering as she flipped Steph into the air only to catch her in her arms a moment later.

They were both laughing messes, basking in the adrenaline and satisfaction of the moment. That was probably why Steph didn’t notice she was no longer holding the bag  _ or _ the sparklers, at least not until she heard a telltale hiss from below them.

They both looked down when they heard a loud pop, catching sight of the bag right as the first firework burst open in a flash of pink fire.

And then everything else followed, and things went to shit.

***

“Ow! A little gentler please,” Steph hissed.

“Apologies, this is a rather bad one,” Kori said, fingers tugging a bit lighter at the knot in Steph’s hair.

They were sitting cross legged on the guest bed in Dick’s apartment, working out the chunks of soot and grime caked on from the explosion. It wasn’t the most glamorous way to end a night, but to be fair, neither had been accidentally blowing up a warehouse.

“And...” Kori did one last tug before smoothing a hand through Steph’s curls. “There, got it.” Her fingers carded comfortingly down the nape of Steph’s neck and up over her skull before Kori sat back with an appreciative hum. “I think that’s all of them.”

Steph let out a sigh of relief. “Finally, I thought that would never end.”

“I would like to brush it now, if that’s alright with you,” Kori offered.

Steph nodded and leaned into her touch. “Knock yourself out.” 

Kori’s movements were slow and careful, making sure not to yank or tug anything with the bristles. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, the city muffled through the windows, the room filled with nothing but the gentle sounds of the brush in Steph’s hair.

“I am glad we had this evening together, Stephanie,” Kori said softly. “It was… fun.”

Steph smiled wryly. “I  _ personally _ could’ve done without the last bit, but yeah, I agree. You’re a good friend, Kori, I’ll have to repay the favor sometime.”

Kori chuckled lightly, brushing a few locks away from Steph’s forehead. “As long as you are open to meeting up again, that is all I require. It has been refreshing to cut loose again, I would very much like to repeat this.”

“Explosions and all?”

“If that is what happens, yes, explosions and all.”

Steph glanced over her shoulder to shoot Kori a grin. “Miss Anders,” she said, “I think this is the start of something great.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kori and Steph turned out to be a very fun duo to write, and while this took longer than intended to finish, I’m happy with the outcome!
> 
> Hope you all have a wonderful day, thanks for reading :-*


End file.
